NH GOP Tells AP: Marriage Equality Repeal Off the Agenda for 2011

"House Republican Leader D.J. Bettencourt confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that jobs and the economy will be the top priorities on an agenda to be announced Thursday. Bettencourt says there's widespread agreement that social issues will have to take a back seat."

So if New Hampshire wants more jobs it looks like they did the right thing, even if they didn't intend to.

Posted by: Anastasia Beaverhausen | Jan 12, 2011 8:34:19 PM

YAY!

Posted by: RedCedar | Jan 12, 2011 8:47:09 PM

The longer it's delayed the less likely it will happen. It's hard to make all the doomsday arguments once people have lived with it and see no negative effects but see happy gay couples committing to each other and honoring marriage.

Posted by: TampaZeke | Jan 12, 2011 8:49:27 PM

@Tampazeke: That sounds logical, but it still has yet to be proven. The only state to have marriage equality reversed was California, after only 5 months. Let's see how likely they are to vote this down (either by ballot or by legislature) in Iowa & NH in the future.

Posted by: Bruno | Jan 12, 2011 9:27:56 PM

Call me cynical but I can't help but think that the Republicans think they'll get more mileage from attacking marriage equality in a presidential election year.

Posted by: John | Jan 12, 2011 11:14:49 PM

This is great news. My guess is they didn't have the votes to override a veto.

Posted by: Ken | Jan 13, 2011 12:46:21 AM

JOHN's comment makes the most sense. Conservatives are not becoming more compassionate, they are simply saving a tried and true tactic for firing up their base.

Rightwing bigots (the GOP base) will almost certainly show up at the polls when a culture war issue is on the ballot. Republican candidates then benefit. If they move forward on repeal...it will be during the 2012 campaign.

True, New Hampshire is not Vermont (where the socially conservative gubernatorial candidate in 2010's election completely ran away from the issue), but time is definitely on our side. The more time that passes, and the more marriages that take place, with no effects except for positive ones, the more difficult it becomes for lawmakers to justify revisiting the issue, particularly since any revisitation will come with thorny legal issues. And the public--except for the die-hard bigots--quickly loses interest in the issue.

The best advertisement for marriage equality is marriage equality. Conservatives aren't becoming more compassionate, but if the politics for repeal aren't in their favor, their outrage over equality miraculously evaporates. So every month that passes without repeal efforts is good news.

Of course, it is being shelved until the next election cycle. When they really need it.

Posted by: Critifur | Jan 13, 2011 11:54:16 AM

There was for me, a "repeal obama" banner on this page, WTF, Andy?

Posted by: Scooter | Jan 13, 2011 1:27:28 PM

It would be awfully difficult to demonstrate any downside from the half dozen years of gay marriage in Massachusetts. The sky didn't fall; the world didn't end; straight marriages were not wrecked; children did not turn gay en masse; divine retribution was not rained down upon our heads; and the whackjob bigots all took flights to Iowa and California to spread their hate. All it all, it's been good for everybody.

Posted by: wimsy | Jan 13, 2011 1:55:15 PM

Unfortunately, the NH legislature has a veto proof majority. If they really wanted to repeal it, there isn't anyone who could stop them.

They are working to end funding for public television, repeal RGGI (the 10 state carbon tax initiative) and other 'unneccesary' public expenses.